Folding apparatus which are combined with stapling apparatus are known in the sheet handling field. Sheets, as used herein, may be severed portions of a continuous web, for example from a web-fed printing machine, or other sheet products. The substrate for the products is typically paper, but may be other materials, and the printing machine may receive the substrates in web or sheet form.
German Patent Disclosure Document No. DE-OS 30 30 706 describes a folding apparatus in which a printed paper web is cut. The cut products are gripped on a folding blade cylinder which has holding needles thereon, the folding blade cylinder cooperating with a first folding flap cylinder to form a first transverse fold. The folding flap cylinder, besides having the folding flaps, additionally carries needles for needling the products and folding blades. A second transverse fold is formed by cooperation of the first folding flap - folding blade cylinder with a second folding flap cylinder.
The system permits connection of a plurality of printed products by a stapling cylinder associated with the combined needle and folding flat-blade cylinder to staple the folded products on the fold line which is to be generated at the first cross fold. It is not possible in this apparatus to provide for stapling along the fold line of the second fold. The first folding flap - folding blade and needle cylinder thus has the additional function of providing for stapling and the multitude of functions associated with such a single element renders the structure complex, difficult to make and to maintain in use.